


The Difference Between Stalking and Art is an Educational Institution

by anonymousorly



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Gen, M/M, Photographer Harry, Photography, Popular Louis, University Student Harry, University Student Louis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-15 08:55:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11802732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonymousorly/pseuds/anonymousorly
Summary: Let’s be clear on one thing: Harry Styles is not a stalker. He is an artist. [1dkinkmeme]Prompt: University!AU. photographystudent!Harry sneaks shots of Louis when he thinks no one is looking.





	The Difference Between Stalking and Art is an Educational Institution

Let’s be clear on one thing: Harry Styles is not a stalker. He is an artist.

\---

Harry was a junior photography student at university and, being an upperclassmen, was actually doing photography coursework instead of requirements like maths and biology. He got to learn about different types of cameras, shadows, lightings, and depths. It was all he ever wanted to do and he was finally doing it.

As a photography student, he was part of the College of Arts and Sciences. Therefore, he was not a stalker when he started to notice a handsome young man wandering the halls of the same college as himself.

Okay, it was maybe borderline stalkerish that he followed the man to a class one day out of curiosity and discovered his name was Louis Tomlinson, junior transfer in the writing and journalism department. That was one time, though, and strictly for personal informational purposes.

He started to see Louis around campus more and more after finding out these few details. He learned that Louis _always_ had a large crowd of at least four people around him at all times, was the loudest and made his group laugh the most, always had a smile on his face, was never late to class, and lived in an off-campus apartment with drama major Zayn Malik and calculus major Niall Horan. 

Sitting in the cafeteria with his roommate Liam Payne one afternoon, he examined from across the dining room that Louis was sitting at a large table piled with backpacks. He was alone and it was an unusual sight in Harry’s eyes. He didn’t have his phone out to text time by, didn’t have earphones in to drown out boredom, didn’t have his schoolwork out…he just sat there with the corners of his lips down and eyes less bright than usual.

Liam followed Harry’s gaze and rolled his eyes before looking back down at his workbook.

Louis doesn’t look uncomfortable, lost, awkward, or anything else that Harry may have expected. Instead of being the life of the party, he was simply just a life like the rest of the world. The worst of it was that it didn’t seem out of the ordinary because Louis was relaxed as he blinked slowly at the table in front of him, hands folded on his lap and face a little more pale because he wasn’t laughing hysterically.

Harry’s fingers ran over the camera in his backpack, contemplating, but then Niall came up behind Louis, grabbed his shoulders, and kissed the back of his neck. Louis did a 180, perking up and shining as bright as he always does as he starts talking Niall’s ear off and more people start to make their way to the table, trays and food in hand.

***

It happened again the very next morning, when it’s fresh in Harry’s mind.

The time was 7:22AM and the only people awake at that hour were those that had 8:00AM classes, hungover or not. Harry was listening to his music as he reviewed notes for his digital environment class and ate scrambled eggs. He looked up by chance and saw Louis dragging himself across the cafeteria toward the food stations, eyes focused downward and hand tight around his sling backpack. In a knit hat and university hoodie, he didn’t look around – must’ve known that none of his friends would be awake – and Harry watched as he took a deep breath before yawning.

His concentration went to hell from that point on.

He snuck glances while Louis ordered at the grill station with a weak but still present smile on his face, chatting the student worker up sleepily as he waited for his food. He smiled at the cashier, too, mumbling something that made her laugh as she gave him change for his waffles, sausage patties, eggs, and potatoes. He situated himself in a booth and did a quick once around the room – his eyes sat briefly on Harry – before focusing on his food.

Harry was on the other side of the room and had a perfect view of Louis, who dumped pepper on his eggs and salt on his potatoes. Again, his fingers went over the camera in his bag and as Louis’ cheeriness with the staff diminished, he saw “the other side” of Louis he was anticipating.

He needed to capture it because it was the most astounding and beautiful thing he had ever witnessed. Louis was a gorgeous being to start with – attractive face, beaming smile, shining blue eyes, full of humor, always polite, hypnotic voice – but when the _real_ side came out, he was even more so because there was no thought to it. It was like an animal in its natural habitat instead of trained to amuse at a circus.

Harry took the camera out of his backpack and aimed at Louis, who had his ankles crossed and jiggling as he mixed the pepper with the eggs, no books or notes out. The nearest student that would've noticed Harry went in and out of sleep over note cards spread out across his table, so his actions went unknown.

He snapped the first picture, reviewed how perfect it was, and started to take more. His breath caught itself at a few shots – Louis licking his lips, or opening his mouth for a bite, or during a half-blink – and he grew warm, wondering how comfy Louis’ sweatshirt was or how much he liked the hat he was wearing; Harry had seen him wearing it quite often before.

At 7:43AM, Harry threw his trash away and made for the A&S building. Louis remained behind, though his plate was almost finished.

***

“It’s a little weird,” Liam informed him at dinner, scrolling through Harry’s camera.

"Most art is.”

Liam shrugged. “I’m not saying they’re bad, by any means. They’re actually quite captivating and…intriguing. Some mystery– A beautiful mystery that you never have to look away from.”

Obnoxious loud laughter came from across the cafeteria and both of them looked to see Louis sitting on the tabletop, arms high above his head as he recited a story and held the attention of everyone around him. He was glowing and smiling so bright, eyes twinkling and face expressive. Harry thought to himself that Louis’ “other side” may have been a secret from the whole world…except him, since he cared enough to notice.

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted on LJ.
> 
> http://1dkinkmeme.livejournal.com/8532.html?thread=10069076#t10069076


End file.
